The News Journal missed this press release from the state Department of Agriculture, but the Philadelphia Inquirer picked it up: Delaware is being overrun by potbellied pigs, apparently because pet owners realize that their cute little piglet can grow to be a 200-pound porker and live for 20 years. Though they don’t do as much damage as full-size feral hogs, they can tear up farm fields and the Ag Department is worried they can carry diseases like swine flu.
Since 2016, there has been an increase in potbellied pigs running at large in the state. A significant contributor has been the unimpeded pipeline of pet pigs becoming strays. Owners who can no longer manage these animals are likely to relinquish ownership and allow them to roam.
The pigs will be dispatched immediately if they are found at large on state-owned lands, including state forests, state wildlife areas, and state parks. … Potbellied pigs found at large due to a constituent complaint will be assumed to be stray, and the Delaware Department of Agriculture will determine the disposition of such animals.